Improvement in vent-pegs and valves for beer casks



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s'rnPnnN'BoURNn, or HEAD'sro'Nn DRIVE, nnnnow, GREAT BRITAIN Lata-s' patat. Iva. 63,202, ,dated Maat i867, y i' IMPROVEMENT IN V'sNr-PLGS'AND VALVES vron BEER' cit-srs.

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Beit known that I, STEPHEN BURNE, of Headstonc'llrive, Harrow, in thecounty ofvhliddlesex, in that 'part ofthe United Kingdom of Great Britain called England, hareinvented cert-,iin new and'useful improvements in Vent-Pegs or Valves chieilyhpplicable tofBeeran'd like (laslas, Barrels-cwi; and that the following description,

taken' in connection Awith the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full-and exact specification of the sama-wherein I have set forth the naturev and principles of my said improvement, by which. my invention may be distinguished fromall 'others of a similar class, together with'snch parts as I claim and desire4 to have secured to me by Letters Patent.' l l *l I This invention' consists in makingI the valve o'r vcntjpeg, whether in the'fortnor shape of a dat disk or of a tube, either conical or cylindrical, oro-t" any other shape which maybe suitable, of India rubber, or anyother suitable elast-ic material, in which one or more apertures, perforations, slits, or other openings are madein such a manner that, by the elasticity ot -the rubber or other material used, they will be held closed, while by the extension of'the rubber they will beopened, and thus a Acommunication established through them between the Y inner and outer, or the two faces or sides off-the valve or vent-peg; the valves-or vent-.pegs made accordingto' the present invention being intended, more especially for use ,in casks or barrels, -or other vessels containing' beer, ale. and other similar` liquids. although they can be adapted for other and various purposes, and the'object ot' their use being to'reg'ulntc the passage ot` airor gas to or from the said caslts, etc.- i

Having thus in general terms stated the nature and principles-ot` the present invention, I will now proceed Ato describe the same in detail., reference beinghadtothe accompanying plate of drawings, in which- Figure'l is a side View ot' a vent-peg made according to the present invention.

Figure 2, a plan or top View of a stopper, having a ventpeg such as is shown intig, 1 inserted in it; and Figure 3 a vertical section taken in the plane of the'line w. :11, iig. 2. y

A, inthe drawings, represents 'my new and improvedl valve, which in the presentinst'ance ismade inthe form-of a hollow tube, B, of a cylindrical foutu-closed at one end, C, and at its other secured by means of a ring, D, over and upon a protruding nipple,"E, of a plug or stopper, F. Thevalve is made of India rubber or other elastic material suitable for the purpose, and is alittle longer than the nipple E, ony which it is secured, forming or leaving a space or channel, G, between the outer endH of such nipple and the closed end or head?v plate' O'o'f the tube B.. Through the nipple E andthe stopper or plug F, of which it forms a part, a hole, I, isv

bored, establishing a communication between the inside of the tube-valve and the outside-of the plug. The

India-rubber tube, at such portion of the same :ts-surrounds the nipple and is in contact with the sides of the same,is proxiided with a `series of slits, a, entirely around it,` which slits'a are made in. the rubber tube Whendistended, so'hat whenv the rubber resumes its 'original condition, or the `force bywhich it is distended is removechsnch slitswill be thereby closed.; .these slits when opened, from the distensi'on ofthe rubber-.by pressure or otherwise, forming acommunication through the rubber tube and central bore of the stopper, which communication is closed when'the rubber is not distended." The stopper to which the rubber tube-valve B is secured, as above explained, is driven into the-centre of a larger plug yor stopper, J, which inv-its turnis driven intoa hole bored through the bung or any other portion of the s'tavesor head ot'- the cask, barrel, or other vessehin connection with which the valve is to be used,l with the rubber 'tube-valve, upon' Athe insidoof -the said cask, barrel,'or other vessel. When the contents of the cask, etc., are to b e ldrawn off, air enters through the top of the centre-bored-stopper `or' plug, and passing through it escapes, at its-lower end, into the interior-of the'Indiarubber tube, from whence it passies to the cask, or .other vessel, throughthc'- small perforationsor slits in the tube.

In the application (if-my improved valve or vent-'peg it is preferable thu-t it should be inserted'in the staves of the cask or barrel, for the reason that, when the cask or barrel isVon ,its side, the valve may be atthe top of the cask, this being the more desirable when the valve is constructed in such a manner as to allow the gas or 'air occu vino the u er f ortion ofthe c'ask, to which'the valve ma b'e applied, to ass from the cask throu h P. a I PP P y P g the valve; valves ot'- which construction and arrangement will be now explained, it'being premised, however, that the principle in forming the' valve,A as' was herein previously stated, remains thesame. I

In Figure 4 ofthe drawings an escape-valve is shown, which. inthe present instance is composed of a disk,` b, o f India rubber, or other suitable 'materiah and is placed across ja hole in one of the-staves of the cnsk or barrelfsimilar to theordinary bung-holeofa cask, where it is secured in the followingmanner: The top of the bung-hole 'is closed with a plug of wood, a, which-has a. smallhole, d, through its centre; the bottom of the plug is also closed with a similar'plug, c, and between these .two plugs the' edges of the India-rubber disk b are nipped, so that a tight joint is made.A Through the rubber disk numerous small holes are perforated, either by atine-pointed needle, or. otherwise,A in such a manner' that when the rubber is distended such holes Vwill be /reby opened, Abut on the'contrary closed as .the rubber resumes its original former state;

From the'construction ot' the valvefand its arrangement in the bung-hole of a Cask, as above explained, it

is plain 'to lbe understood that, if the bung-hole of the cask is placed uppermost, any pressure from the interior ofthe cask will cause the holes in the disk to open, and soallow the excess of gas to pass from theV cask. This valve, however, will not allow air to enter the ca'sk when any of its contents are withdrawn, asthe pressure of the air would-not be sufficient to open the holesin the India-rubber disk.. i A

i InFigure 5 another valve is shown, thc operation of which is substantially similar to that above described and shown in tig. 4, the dilference 'consistingin using a flat disk for lthe lower or inner plug e,y in lieu ot' one hollowed out, as shown in iig. 4, the rubber disk resting upon and against this fiat plug.

In'Figure 6 a similar .flat-shaped Idisk-valve is sho-wn, the only difference between'it and those shown in figs. '4 and 5 consistingin the inode of securing it in and'to a'stave ofthe cask, barrel, or other vessel, the operation being the same.

In Figure'T, in lieu of the valve being made cfa Hat or disk-shaped piece ot' India rubber, it is made of 4a conical or arched form, 'witha flange,f,around it, by which it is held inits place in a hole in one ot'` the staves or the bung. This flange is shown as held by a tube, by preference of metal, or it maybe secured in place in any other proper manner, the cone of Indiarubber being open at its bottom tothe interior of -the cask, so that when there is any pressure of'gas within the cask the holes will-open and allow the gas to escape therefrom, but nonir to enter the Cask, asjany pressure of'air on th'e exterior of the cone only tends to close the iine holes through it. v i H In the valve shown in Figure 8 a perforated c on'e of India rubber is employed, which cone at its upper end is closed, and supported on its interior with a cone of wood or other material. The wood cone. is driven'intora hole upon the interior ot the (task` partially through oneof the staves or the bung, and a smallpassage is formed, through the cone from its top toits bottom, so that gas may pass from the @ask through thislhole into the interior of the rubber cone, escaping through its perforations, and passing Aaway through the small hole which is made entirely through the stave or bung. In Eg. 8 another form of valve is'showu,\vliich in this instance is of a tube shape, provided with a serieso't' perforations, this tube being open at both lends and placed in a holebored` transversely across a plug of wood, l. This tube has an enlargement at each end, so 'as to tit .tightly into the ends of thehole of the plug. l This plug is also Vprovidegi'with a hole, m, leading from its top to the transverse hole formed through it. The plug of wood so fitted with a tube is driven into a hole formed on.l the inner face of a. stave, or bung, and partially through it. When there is any pressure in the intcriorof .the c'nsk the gas passes through the ine perforations inthe rubber tube, into thetransverse hole in the plug, escaping therefrom through the small hole, and thence out through thel hole entirely through the stave or bung.

In the valve shown iri Figure 9 a small tube ofIndia rubber is'shown, which in construction, is similar to that shown in the Erst four figures of the drawings, and hereinbefore'described, but is arranged in the stave or bung of a cask so as to allow the air or gasto escape therefrom, in lieu of centriug the saine, as described for sweater tube.

Having thus described-my invention, what Iolu-im 'a's new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A valvemade of India rub.ber, or other elastic or suitable material, whether in the form of a disk, cone, cylinder, or any other proper shape, when said valve'is provided with one or more perforations, slits, or other openings, in such a manner that by the distension of the rubber its peri'orations will be opened, but' closed by its elasticity, substantially as and 'o'lthe purposes described.

The above specification of'my invention'signcdby mc this nineteenth day of June, 1866. l

' STE. BQUR-NE.

Witnesses t I WARREN BoioflVo. IT Grac'eczu-rja-t street, London.

.Ions DEAN, v. 

